Hopeless Love (Confronting the Villain)
by Stormlight
Summary: Our tale unfolds beneath the boughs of ancient woodland glade, where night-wind stirs the restless leaves and moonlight-dappled shade as shards of crystal - deadly, gleaming - weave the threads of magic's seeming. Caught within this web of Dreaming sleeps the spellbound maid...


_I wrote this poem years back, inspired heavily by Labyrinth. Specifically, a certain ballroom scene. It has since undergone heavy revision to turn it from strictly a fan poem to something more original, but I think the spirit of Labyrinth - and Jareth and Sarah - still resides within._

 _There is supposed to be actual formatting on this - specifically, the first and fourth line of every stanza is to be indented, but this site hates formatting, so..._

 _I had this posted here years back. Forget exactly why I removed it. I think because somebody tried to steal it and claim it as theirs. Please don't do that. It hurts my feelings. And really pisses me off.  
_

* * *

 _ **Hopeless Love (Confronting the Villain)**_

 _ **A Villain and a Heroine.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **A story told in rhyme.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **The blush of love's awakening**_ _ **  
**_ _ **as hearts are intertwined.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **What shall this Ever After bring?**_ _ **  
**_ _ **A bridal veil, a golden ring?**_ _ **  
**_ _ **But Fate seems such a fickle thing**_ _ **  
**_ _ **when love is on the line.**_

 _ **Our tale unfolds beneath the boughs**_ _ **  
**_ _ **of ancient woodland glade,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **where night-wind stirs the restless leaves**_ _ **  
**_ _ **and moonlight-dappled shade**_ _ **  
**_ _ **as shards of crystal, deadly, gleaming,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **weave the threads of magic's seeming.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Caught within this web of Dreaming**_ _ **  
**_ _ **sleeps the spellbound maid.**_

 _ **A chamber of immensity**_ _ **  
**_ _ **immersed in candlelight,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **bedecked in glowing tapestry**_ _ **  
**_ _ **and hung with streamer bright.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Before her dazed and dreaming eyes**_ _ **  
**_ _ **the spell begins to hypnotize,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **the fantasy to mesmerize**_ _ **  
**_ _ **with each bewitching sight.**_

 _ **She moves among the opulence**_ _ **  
**_ _ **unwary of the jeers**_ _ **  
**_ _ **and taunting of the occupants**_ _ **  
**_ _ **whose laughter sounds like tears.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Fine Dancers garbed in bright array**_ _ **  
**_ _ **all move with purpose; bodies sway**_ _ **  
**_ _ **enticingly in lewd display**_ _ **  
**_ _ **discrepant of their sneers.**_

 _ **Unwary still, she pushes through**_ _ **  
**_ _ **the crowd of grasping hands.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **An unknown countenance she seeks,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **the stranger who commands**_ _ **  
**_ _ **her thrumming heart, her quickened breath;**_ _ **  
**_ _ **he brushes by as soft as death,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **and leaves her searching and bereft,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **a pawn to his demands.**_

 _ **The kaleidoscope of color parts.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **There stands the one she seeks.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **His alluring gaze beguiles**_ _ **  
**_ _ **and her will is growing weak.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **His words begin to mesmerize**_ _ **  
**_ _ **as silver tongue seeps honeyed lies.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **She stands enraptured by his eyes**_ _ **  
**_ _ **and finds she cannot speak.**_

 _ **Into his arms he takes her then**_ _ **  
**_ _ **as into dance they're spun,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **and something magic fills his eyes,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **for Something has begun.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **His step is sure, his touch is strong.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **He woos her with a velvet song,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **assuring her that she belongs;**_ _ **  
**_ _ **there is no need to run.**_

 _ **And yet, mistrust is not dispelled.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Uneasiness remains**_ _ **  
**_ _ **that alluring words cannot suppress.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **His spell cannot restrain**_ _ **  
**_ _ **the suspicion that there's much amiss.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **And as he bends to take her kiss**_ _ **  
**_ _ **the doubt drives back enchanted bliss.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Her reason is regained.**_

 _ **Now Dancers start to press her in**_ _ **  
**_ _ **and masked eyes glitter coldly.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Their lips are twisted sneers of hate**_ _ **  
**_ _ **as rough hands clutch her boldly.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Their laughter mocking, vile rasps**_ _ **  
**_ _ **upon her ears, she cuts their grasps**_ _ **  
**_ _ **and stumbles through the sea of masks**_ _ **  
**_ _ **amid their howling glee.**_

 _ **His song still haunts her memory,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **his eyes she can't escape.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **He holds her soul in jeopardy,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **and yet her will is great.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **She fights to break his strong command.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **He pleads with her to understand**_ _ **  
**_ _ **the gift he holds in outstretched hand**_ _ **  
**_ _ **as through glass walls she breaks.**_

 _ **Then screams of horror fill the air**_ _ **  
**_ _ **and ends the mocking laughter,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **and everything begins to fall**_ _ **  
**_ _ **as all ends in disaster.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Yet Dancers still mechanically**_ _ **  
**_ _ **sway to discordant melody,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **for even now they are not free;**_ _ **  
**_ _ **they'll dance forever after.**_

 _ **Amid this broken spell she stands,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **her enemy she faces.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Her Dream is winding to its end**_ _ **  
**_ _ **as to an end Time paces.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **From 'midst the shadows he appears.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **His face has aged a hundred years.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **His ancient eyes hold all the fears**_ _ **  
**_ _ **of a hundred ancient races.**_

 _ **Now pale mist gathers like a wraith**_ _ **  
**_ _ **about his weary form,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **and garbs him in a shroud of gray;**_ _ **  
**_ _ **a bit of darkness shorn.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **His haunted eyes are begging, pleading,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **and his soul is wounded, bleeding.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Hopeless love, so ever-fleeting,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **hearts forever torn.**_

 _ **Now resonates a somber bell;**_ _ **  
**_ _ **the hour is at hand.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **The Villain knows his Heroine**_ _ **  
**_ _ **must make the final stand.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Determination conquers fear.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Compassion has no holding here,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **yet, shining in her eye—a tear.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **She gives him her Command.**_

 _ **And even as she speaks**_ _ **  
**_ _ **the world's foundations start to quake.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **The very air surrounding them**_ _ **  
**_ _ **begins to heave and shake.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Still comes the tolling of the bell,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **obliterating faerie spell.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **The Dream—a fragile, shining shell—**_ _ **  
**_ _ **is shattered in its wake.**_

 _ **She knows her choice is right,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **that he was never meant to stay,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **but his gaze still pierces through her soul**_ _ **  
**_ _ **and tempts her heart to stray.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **This tale has reached its bitter end,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **for even True Love cannot bend**_ _ **  
**_ _ **the rules of iron. In the end**_ _ **  
**_ _ **the Story has its way.**_

 _ **Upon awakening, she grieves**_ _ **  
**_ _ **the loss of her romance,**_ _ **  
**_ _ **the truest love she'll never know**_ _ **  
**_ _ **reflected in his glance.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **But in her dreams, she'll stand before**_ _ **  
**_ _ **the threshold of Enchantment's door.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **She's bound to him forevermore.**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Forever shall they Dance.**_


End file.
